The Companion to Castles by Stephen Friar

Some books just exude such a sense of quality and authority that you
know from the moment you open them that they are going to be constantly thumbed
and referred to for many years to come. "The Companion to Castles" by Stephen
Friar is one of those books, and should be considered essential reading by
anyone with the slightest interest in medieval British castles.

The book commences with a brief introduction to the subject, but
most of it is given over to an A-Z listing of entries that cover just about
every conceivable subject to do with castles. From "Abacus" (The flat slab
forming the upper section of a capital) to "Z-Plan" (A distinctive Sottish form
of tower house...) the contents are encyclopedic, and what makes this book so
valuable is that there are many different types of entry included. Yes, this is
the place to look for the meaning of all those obscure terms describing bits of
castles, such as a herrison, rainures, or a squinch arch. But the book goes far
beyond the narrow definition of the castles themselves in covering aspects of
medieval warfare and history, and the wider architecture of the period. Also
included are entries which take a much more in depth look at particular topics.
Body armour therefore takes up two pages as an entry (with others for specific
items of armour such as gorgets, greaves and guiges); while the main entry for
"keep" extends to four and a half pages and four illustrations, and runs into
"keep-gatehouse", which has two more pages.

It's almost as if the author has set himself the task of explaining
every word and expression a reader is likely to encounter in a book of just
about any sort about, or involving, a medieval British castle. And as far as we
can see, he has succeeded. This is not really a book to read from end to end,
but it hugely repays being dipped into or browsed: and, of course, being
referred to in response to specific queries.

It is worth noting in passing that this is one of a series of books
by the same author and published by History Press. The others are: "The
Companion to Local History"; "The Companion to Churches"; "The Companion to
Heraldry"; and "The Companion to Cathedrals and Abbeys".